Celebrating 25 Years of the Americans With Disabilities Act

GLENN HEIGHTS-Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson released the following statement recognizing the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) signed into law by President George H. But in fact, we should be thinking much more broadly.

“Today, New York is continuing to protect the rights and liberties of people with disabilities”, said Governor Cuomo. Moms with strollers, and elderly people who have difficulty navigating stairs also benefit from ramps. They testified to their concern that he will not be able get housing or use accessible public transportation.

Work is transformative. It contributes to our pride and our independence. The First Selectman’s Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities is working to make the Town accessible to all. What is certain is that the solutions to the ongoing problem of unemployment and income inequality among people with disabilities isn’t necessarily about how policy manifests itself – through a legislature or a constitutional amendment – but whether there is a commitment to subsequently enforce these good intentions.

Discrimination on a personal level still exists.

“We can make the same kinds of contributions as other individuals”, she says. I am proud to represent many gifted people with disabilities in Rhode Island and across the country.

The media, which helps shape perceptions, tends to be filled with images of normality.

Can you imagine how we would react if almost half of all New Yorkers who were suffering from heart disease weren’t getting treatment? “Our work is far from finished, and I will continue to fight for equal access and inclusion”, said Gary Balletto, a former boxing champion who, in the two years since an accident left him paralyzed, has emerged as a strong voice for the disability community. We hear about the impact the law has had here in Mid-Michigan in the past 25 years.

The event was hosted by the Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities at Rhode Island College, which was founded in 1993 and is dedicated to supporting individuals with disabilities at RIC and beyond, ensuring that they have the resources and support they need to participate fully in their communities.

I want disabled people to no longer be dehumanized by being primarily defined either as burdens or as inspirations.

Given all this discrimination-what needs to be done? In 2011, the employment rate among disabled people between the ages of 25 and 64 was about 49 per cent compared to 79 per cent for people without disabilities.

From Federal Agencies like FEMA that created an emergency preparedness PSA, complete with captions, sign language interpreter and audio descriptions to Honey Maid’s new #ThisisWholesome campaign that features a disability rights attorney who is a wheelchair user, also captioned and audio described… government entities, business and organizations are energized by ADA25 moving forward.

The ADA Legacy Bus drove awareness of the disability rights movement over 22,000 miles, across 30 states and to100 cities by the ADA anniversary.

Given the current political climate, quotas may seem an unlikely outcome.

Over the years, other laws have been passed and executive orders issued to strengthen the protections afforded the disabled.